23 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
It’s not officially in open beta until tomorrow, October 24, but RaiderZ kicked off its Halloween-inspired event with the early access play that began yesterday. The monsters of Rendel have taken up the spirit, hoarding fistfuls of Halloween Candy. And someone’s been decorating the countryside with Festival Pumpkins, perhaps the most uninspired carved pumpkins these peepers have ever seen.
At any rate, most kills will result in a drop of varying amounts of Halloween Candy. The Festival Pumpkins can be found all over and are easily looted with no blood spilled. Both items are required for various Halloween items including edibles, wearables, rideables and transformation(ables?). If you’re not one to play their luck for the Halloween-themed costume items, they can be purchased from the cash shop. Purchased items are permanent.
Players have to head to Ingen, the second major zone, to turn in their items to Franky and the Pumpkin Fairy for prizes.
A rather long, yet uninspired, event, the rest of the themed loot will disappear on November 20, 2012. I don’t even think they bothered to create a title for the event…
23 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
That's a $12 respec.
I have always been thrifty. Someone that is weary of getting nickel and dimed or outright screwed over by large companies. As such, I was very cautious of early free-to-play titles. Especially when the title happened to be an import from the East, where the game design of pay-to-win is acceptable. Pay-to-win has dwindled but renting needed content, such as bag space or mounts remained for a while. Because of that I began a column called “The Price of F2P.” I’ve resurrected it for Lore Hound on occasion when I felt compelled and, sadly, I’m tempted to do it for RaiderZ.
I purchased the Founder’s pack to support MAIET Entertainment and Perfect World Entertainment’s investment in a title based on a collection of unique boss fights. It’s a design I have discussed was all I needed in a game, so I felt compelled to put my money where my mouth – so to speak – is. I’ve already supported the title’s development and it technically hasn’t even been released yet. And, to a small extent, I’m starting to feel a bit of buyer’s remorse.
Hit the jump to read what’s making me so annoyed with my initial live play session of RaiderZ. Continue Reading
22 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
The best thing about Halloween celebrations in MMOG is that they rarely last for a single day. ArenaNet’s own celebration for Guild Wars 2 begins today, October 22, 2012 and will conclude on November 5. Players will be treated to far more than simply apple bobbing, masks and and a one off boss encounter. Fear not, costumes and seasonal items are available. The gem store will be full of costumes, tonics and pets. Meanwhile, Black Lion Chests could award you with a Halloween-themed weapon skin. But cosmetic season items are not all players should expect.
ArenaNet has devised a phased event to reveal the fate of the Mad King. A crown wearer for Krytan, the king was slain by his own people while they rebelled against his tyrannical reign. Not content with his death, the body was said to be chopped into chum and his spirit banished to the Underworld. Mad King Thorn’s spirit was said to travel the mortal plain on Halloween, but the wraith hasn’t been seen in over 250 years. And yet something suspicious has begun. Strange energies are forming…
Oh, and let’s not forget the Diorama Contest.
Hit the jump for additional concept art. Continue Reading
22 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
The Open Beta phase of RaiderZ doesn’t truly open to all players until October 24, 2012, but early adopters gain access at 8:00 PM EST on October 22. That’d be today, just about 9 hours away! Assuming all goes well, I’ll be streaming my initial adventures of Rendel on LoreHound’s Twitch. Perfect World Entertainment isn’t let us go into the fray empty handed. The company has released yet another trailer, this time focusing on the high-end zone of Rietz.
The area of Rietz is home to the city of the same name, featuring lavish shops of all shapes and sizes. Home to the title’s social hub, the city is a sprawling area requiring all the norms of life, including sewers. Unlike the sewer alligator of legend, Rietz’ human waste disposal systems are home to otherworldly life. The devious monsters come in all shapes and sizes. Some ugly, fearsome and ferocious, others more akin to expectations of a top dweller such as yourself.
They all have loot. “Rietz offers something for everyone, including trouble.”
Hit the jump for the zone trailer and a selection of stills from Rietz. Continue Reading
22 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
Halloween, perhaps the most celebrated of all holidays in the MMO genre, will be coming to TERA for the first time in a few days. Dubbed Masquerade Mayhem, the event will be active from October 23 to November 5, 2012. The largest attraction is the opportunity to win one limited-time Halloween themed items, including a “terrifying” boneshaker mount.
To entice players new and old to join the party, En Masse Entertainment is offering the most basic prize simply for logging in during the event. The door prize is a Trick-or-Treat Mystery Box containing summoning scrolls, a Halloween themed, rare or “otherwise useful item.” The developer includes a pair of other activities, a pie-throwing chore to defending a trove of candy. Completing them will earn new titles, additional themed items and a shot at the Boneshaker mount.
The Boneshaker mount is also purchasable, so it’s not all that exclusive.
18 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
And I’m Back is a mini-series column dealing with the return to Azeroth after being away for so long. The series chronicles personal reactions to changes to discoveries and making the needed adjustments to the new Azeroth.
What’s the first action you do after logging in to an MMOG you’ve been absent from for some time? Me, well, I checked my guild statuses and friends lists. A guild had disbanded but friends were still logging in from time to time. The second action I took, one more interesting but not as important, was to hit shift+B and take a gander at my bags. Considering my departure from Azeroth was unplanned and pretty abrupt, I expected to find my bags a mess despite my storage OCD.
I was so correct. So horribly correct.
Once I pulled out the cobwebs and collected lint I realized where my characters were in their lives, raiding. Both characters had at least two bags dedicated to the end-game activity. It was a treasure trove of early Cataclysm items. Potions, food, feasts, stacks of ingredients for other guildmates to use, extra gems and even multiple sets of gear for distinct situations or offspecs were represented.
There’s additional terror behind the cut. Continue Reading
17 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
Cryptic Studios has just announced that Star Trek Online will be leading the MMOG sector in innovation. The company is currently working on a the STO Gateway system (working title), which will enable players to access crucial game information from outside the PC client. Accessible from your standard desktop, smartphone or tablet, at launch the Gateway system will enable games to get a look character details, ship and officer statuses, all equipped items and account achievements.
Perhaps more important than the initial announcement is the disclosure that this is the beta client. Cryptic Studios has been working on the feature for months and explains that there are “more features and functionality to come.”
The beta version of the Gateway system will launch as part of the Season 7 content update. There’s no timeline for updates, but after the jump you can read my initial impressions and see stills of the current incarnation. Continue Reading
16 October 2012 | |
iTZKooPA
Even if mainstream culture doesn’t know it, videogame music has come a long, long way since the beeps and boops of the 8-bit era. Instead of fighting with hardware to expand the range of noise – let’s be honest, that’s what it was back then – the processor, or heaven forbid the sound chip was capable of making, we now have full orchestras and incredibly talented composers creating soundtracks.
Where typical single-player excursion tend to have a set style, MMOG titles often change given the scenario, setting, zone or even the phase of a boss fight. This gives players hours of different music, enabling MMOG soundtracks to hold up as a stand-alone item more than any other genre.
Most titles these days include a soundtrack with the Collector’s Edition, but Guild Wars 2 has taken it a step further. Shockingly still available is the full soundtrack to ArenaNet’s subscriptionless title. Signed by composer Jeremy Soule, this collection weighs in at an impressive four CDs. The $29.99 physical collection is only available until Mr. Soule’s hand starts cramping and is sure to turn into a collector’s item.
Hit the jump for two more soundtracks that you shouldn’t miss.
Continue Reading
